Machine for marking articles sent to the laundry



G. E. MATHIASEN.

MACHINE FOR MAR 2 SHEETS-SHEET l- I 1: i ,"I j I, I J I K I um I: '7 um."

Patented Nov. 21, 1922* G. E. MATHIASEN. v MACHINE FOR MARKING ARTICLES SENT TO THE LAUNDRY.

APPUCATION HL ED DEC. 6.1920. 1,436,599.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Patented Nov. 21, 1922.

li atented Nov. 21, 1922.

MACHINE FOR MARKING ARTICLES SENT TO THE LAUNDRY.

Application filed December 6, 1920. Serial No. 428,783.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnone EMIL MATH- IASEN, a subject of the King of Denmark, and resident of Copenhagen, in the Kingdom of Denmark, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Marking Articles Sent to the Laundry, of whlch the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a machine for marking articles sent to the laundry, which marking is effected by printing letters, numbers or symbols, for instance stars and the like, on them for the purpose of enabling them to be identified after being washed.

In my machine a very slight movement caused by the operator is utilized in such a manner that the marking device of the machine is lowered and comes against a printing base, thereby effecting the marking of the article, and then returns automatically to the position of rest. In my machine the adjustment of the marking device is done without intermediate elements. The device for delivering ink touches the printing types of the marking device twice before each marking, and is prevented from coming into contact with the article to be marked.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 shows the machine in side view;

Fig. 2 the same in top view, some details being omitted;

Fig. 3 the same in front View, and

Fig. & a detail in section.

A plate 1 has layers for a shaft 2, around which two mutually connected one-arm levers 3 may be turned by the operator. In resting position the levers 3 are kept raised by a screw spring 4: acting upon their free ends and surrounding two oppositely directed, short projections 5, which in resting position do not touch each other, and one of which is placed beneath and between the levers 3, while the other is mounted on the plate 1. The levers 3 are supporting on their free ends an arched plate 6, which vertically or nearly vertically above the projections 5 carries a printing surface 7 of india rubber or the like, and by means of which the levers 3 can by the operator be turn.

pressed down against the action of the spring 1 so that the projections 5 touch one .another. According to my invention this very slight movement is utilized for putting the dltferent devices of the machine into action and effecting the marking of the articles, the mark to be used being beforehand composed by the operator.

Nearly in the middle of the plate 1 brackets are mounted for a shaft 3, about which one bent lever 9 and two bent levers 10 can Behind the center of rotation the lever 9 is acted upon by a spring 11 in such a manner, that an adjustable head 12 on the free end of one of its arms touches in resting position a connecting plate 13 between the one-arm levers 3, while its other arm is led u to a stay 14: between the bent levers 10. etween the approximate central point of the levers 3 and the shorter arms of the bent levers 10 there is, in front of the center of rotation of the bent levers, provided a connecting link 15, having an oblong slot c, and being shaped as a shaft furnished with an upright part, so that, by

pressing down the levers 3, the bent levers 9 and 10 are caused to make a much greater turning than the arms 3. In the longer arms of the bent levers 10 a resilient how 16 is lodged, which is guided by projections 17 on their shorter arms, and can co-operate with the printing surface 7 for the purpose of holding the article to be marked. In the free ends of the longer arms of the levers 10 a shaft 18 is mounted, about which an angular rod 19 can turn. This rod is in contact with a roller 20, mounted in an upright 21 on the plate 1, and is joint-connected with a rod 22, kept raised by a spring 23 or the like, which latter is carried by one of the levers 10. The rod 22 is carrying an ink-roller 2 1. During the downward going movement of the levers 10 the rods 19 and 22 will, owing to the effect of the roller 20, be brought into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the ink-roller take the retired position 24 The shaft 18 is also carrying the marking device or wheel, with which the marking or printing is effected, when the plate wheel, whose side-plates may be in one piece with the levers 10, consists of for instance two disks 25 bearing the different letters of the alphabet, formed as characters, on projections 26 on their downward turning halves, and having a corresponding number of scores 27 in their upper halves, and of for instance five double sectors 28, each bearing the different ciphers and signs used for the marking on projections 26 below, and having scores 27 above, in the same manner as the letter disks, see especially Figs. 3 and 4:- The letter disks are adjusted independently of one another by handwheels 29, being connected with indexes 30, pointing to a letter scale 31, while the sectors are adjusted by handles 32 in accordance with a graduation scale 33. WVhen the adjustment is done, and the mark to be used thus is composed, the disks and the sectors are firmly held in relation to one another by means of resilient grippers 34, engaging the scores 27 and being lodged in projections 35 on the bent levers 10.

The operation. of my machine is as follows:

An edge of the single pieces to be marked is held across the printing surface 7 beneath the bow 16, and the plate (3, is suddenly pressed down, so that the projections 5 touch each other. The different devices of the machine move then downward in direction of the arrows shown in Fig. 1, and the roller 24 retires, delivering ink to the characters or types of the marking wheel. In

swinging down the marking wheel strikes against the printing surface, when this latter occupies its lowest firmly supported position guided by the projections 5, and the marking is then effected. By the striking against the printing surface the marking wheel, whose movement owing to the eflect of the spring 11 and of the arrangement of the slot (4 is to some extent resilient, obtains again an upward going direction of movement and is then more easily raised by the spring 11 to the position of rest. The spring 4 is weak and only supports the printing base and relieves the spring 11, but the spring L and the slot a may also be omitted, or the spring 4, when employed. in combination with a slot 64, is strong and acts prior to the spring 11, thus suddenly raising the levers 3, when released after being pressed down. In the latter case the printing base springs up and strikes against the down-moving marking wheel, so that the marking is effected, whilst the printing base is moving upwards and the direction of movement of the marking wheel is at the same time altered for the purpose stated above.

The how 16 is so shaped'and arranged, that it can co-act with the printing surface 7 of india rubber, till the levers are raised to some extent, and at the same time prevent a forward movement of the ink roller 2%, till the article, which has been marked, is removed.

The bow may be shaped as a plate having a slot above the printing surface and being influenced by a spring. The marking wheel, whose sectors may be disks, can be used for its purpose in combination with other means effecting movement than those indicated herein.

As is evident, the construction of my ma chine may vary, without departing from the principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a machine for marking articles sent to the laundry a printing base adapted to be slightly pressed down, in combination with two one arm levers supporting the said printing base, two opposite directed projections limiting the downward movement of the said printing base and being surrounded by a spring, two bent levers pivotally connected with the said one arm levers, carrying a marking wheel and enabling it to swing out to co-act withthe said printing base when pressed down, a device for delivering ink to the said marking wheel and a device for holding the article to be marked the said devices being lodged in the said bent levers, a bent lever connected with the said bent levers, and returning means acting upon the said bent lever, substantially as set forth.

2. In a machine for marking articles sent to the laundry, a printing base, in combina tion with a marking wheel having adjustable printing types, a device for delivering ink consisting of an ink-roller, a rod-eonnection carrying the ink-roller and being influenced by a spring and turnably connected with the said marking wheel, a guide-roller guiding the said rod-connection and being lodged outside the said marking wheel, a device for holding the article to be marked, operating levers connecting the said print ing base with the said marking wheel and the said devices, and returning means, sub stantially as set forth.

3. In a machine for marking articles sent to the laundry, a print-ing base supported by two one-arm levers in combination with a marking wheel, a device for delivering ink to the said marking wheel, a device for holding the article to be marked, bent levers supporting the said marking wheel and the said devices, and being turnably lodged between the one-arm levers supporting the printing base, a link connecting the said bent levers in front of their centre of rotation with the approximate central point of the said onearm levers, and returning means, substantially as set forth.

4:. In a machine for marking articles sent to the laundry, a printing base supported by one-arm levers, in combination with a 1,4ee,eoe

marking wheel, a device for delivering ink, having a slot, and returning means, substan- & device for holding the article to be marked, tially as set forth. 10 bent levers supporting the said marking In witness whereof I have hereunto set Wheel and the said devices, a link connecting my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

the said one-arm levers with the said levers GEORG EMIL MATHIASEN. and enabling the bent levers to make a 'Witnesses: greater turning than the one-arm levers, an BERNH. LARSON,

upright part connected vvith the said link and G. V. NIELSEN. 

